This summer, GOALS announced the creation of a special scholarship to honor volunteer and Dream Team school scholarship program founder Jovan Julien, and all the work he has done to ensure that GOALS' most promising young leaders have the opportunity to attend school, whether or not their families can afford the tuition costs.

The GOALS Dream Team school scholarship program has seen dozens of teens return to school, and two students have become the first in their families to graduate high school, a huge accomplishment in Haiti, where less than 20% will ever even attend high school at all. Cassandra was the first in her entire village to graduate high school, and Olsen was honored for receiving the second-highest grades in his entire class. We couldn't be prouder - and more grateful to Jovan's vision and ongoing support!

The Jovan Julien Honorary Scholarship was created to support one student who demonstrates exceptional leadership qualities and a dedication to creating a better future not only for themselves, but for their community as well. And that is exactly why, with Jovan's help, GOALS selected John Daly Pierre to receive this special scholarship for the 2015 - 2016 academic year.

John Daly stands out amongst hundreds of GOALS participants for going above and beyond the minimum requirements. For example, he has logged more volunteer hours than required to maintain his GOALS soccer team eligibility, joining in on extra community service projects, such as leading activities for little kids in his neighborhood and performing in skits to teach health lessons to his community.

Check out this video of John Daly, Sterlin and Wisly leading GOALS kids in an interactive "animasyon" (call-and-response) activity (that's John Daly in the dark blue shirt):

John Daly has attended school in the past, but he's also fallen behind when his family has been unable to pay tuition. With eight children to care for, his family has understandably struggled. But he has big dreams for the future:

"School is important for me because you can’t advance or succeed without school," he says. "School makes a big difference in my life; it exposes me to new things and ideas... I would like to be a policeman (or a doctor) to help my country, to help myself and my family. I would also like to fix the road to my village so that life in my community can improve, because if there is no road, there won’t be development of the community."

John Daly would also like to thank everyone who has contributed to the Jovan Julien Scholarship Fund to send him back to school, and, if I may add on his behalf, everyone who has made a donation to the GOALS scholarship fund this year! See below for a note from John Daly:

It reads:"Today is a beautiful day to write the staff GOALS even I haven't many words to say. But I'm happy the program Dream Team, it gives me possibility to go to school without money, I'm very happy for that. I thank you very much 'cause you sending me to school. I got a dream, a dream when I finish school, I want to be a doctor and my favorite subject in my school are math and English. Thank you very much for all things."

GOALS is determined to see John Daly and all of our students, achieve their dreams. On behalf of John Daly and all of our GOALS Dream Team students, thank you for believing in a better future for Haiti and for investing in our students to make it happen and for being a part of their success.

As we say in Haiti, "Mesi mil fwa!" or, thank you one thousand times!

Meet the GOALS 2015 - 2016 Dream Team!

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